Ok so I know the last chapter was short and probably sucked the way I ended it but I was trying the whole leave em wanting for more thing? I guess anyhow hope you enjoy!
"Zuko kissed me," she blurted out after finding no better way to say it.
"Oh my how was it? I bet it was fantastic!" Suki was excited and she turned over on her stomach to look into Katara's embarrassed face.
"It was slow and passionate and then became like a fight one between water and fire and then he pinched my nipple and my muscles began to spasm. I was out of control I took his hair loose and put passion marks on his neck; I didn't know it was that easy to make those! Anyway Iroh caught us and he went clean off on Zuko and then I heard Zuko say…" Katara was wiping her tears now and Suki laid her head on her chest and began stroking her hair.
"He called me a peasant Suki like I was just some disgusting and vile creature like a toy he could play with!" Katara exclaimed and Suki sighed before speaking.
"An exotic toy you mean to say, look at who his with miss stiff thin pale body or you the eccentric voluptuous water bender that isn't afraid of anything. You know when to be nice, stern, mean, forgiving and begrudging, warm, cold, loving and hateful." Suki said and Katara smiled. "And Zuko may be a powerful Fire Bender but you can lay him on his ass and I think it's about to register to him what a great-" Suki had to grab the cover to keep her balance once Katara shot up.
"What did you say Suki?" she asked and Suki looked dumbfounded she had actually just said a lot was Katara even paying her any attention?
"The Zuko part? Zuko is a powerful bender-" Katara put her index finger up to Suki signaling for her to hush and her memories flooded to her like a dam broke.
You misunderstood Aunt Wu…You will marry a powerful bender…
"Is the fortune teller Aunt Wu here?" Katara asked and Suki had to think about it, she figured she would soon enough find out. "Yes she is staying in an inn in the city though; she said she wanted to share her wisdom with the people of the Fire Nation." Suki recalled as she was helping to unload passengers.
"Please Suki you have to take me to her," Katara insisted and Suki was dragged out of the palace, once again by the water bender, and if she was an ordinary person she would be out of breath and begging for a break, but she was a warrior so all was well.
At some point Suki began to lead and Katara followed her to the inn where Aunt Wu was occupying and knew it was the right one because there was a line outside of the door. Katara saw Meng and ran over to her and the two of them hugged. Meng had grown just about as much as Aang had but her hair had apparently become more manageable being that it was down her back in one braid now. Suki was nudging Katara seemingly she was causing a lot of stir with the men of the crowd and in the city. She forgot that she still had her dress on and it was not only revealing but thin and curve fitting.
Katara ignored the cat calls and allowed Meng to escort her and Suki inside past everyone else in line. Aunt Wu smiled and reached out her arm before Katara even stepped through the door.
"I knew that you would be seeking me out sooner or later!" Aunt Wu said and the two of them hugged each other.
"I need another reading about the man I am supposed to marry, something a little less vague on the bending style." Katara asked and the two of them took a seat while Aunt Wu read her palms.
"I see a man, one who has had a hard past and had to work hard to get to where he is now." Aunt Wu tried and Katara but her lip that could be either of them she needed to know something more specific.
"He has struggled in the past with doing the right thing his greatest battle is within between good and evil, you will be the deciding factor in his destiny." Aunt Wu tried and Katara sat back flabbergasted that was definitely Zuko, no ifs ands or buts about it. How could she ever forgive him for what he said and how he played her?
"Aunt Wu, you are always welcome to the South Pole and I hope that you enjoy your stay at the Fire Nation." Katara said not wanting to get a reading and dash but Aunt Wu was a fortune teller and therefore she understood. Katara and Suki left out and Suki couldn't help but try and get a read on what was turning in the water benders head.
"Suki you could've just asked staring isn't polite…yes I do believe she is talking about Zuko and no I don't know how that is possible, and no I do not plan on telling him." Katara said and she walked in front of Suki and to the palace's outer walls. The guards bowed and let them past and the two girls walked through the yard and over to the main entrance. The guards bowed and did just like the two before let them pass without a spoken word. That doesn't mean they weren't thinking them though and Suki had a feeling she would soon here through the servants.
When they got into Katara's room Toph, Aang, and Sokka were sitting in her room waiting on their return. Sokka hugged his sister and then pulled Suki in for a kiss, in his mind things were looking up. After the coronation he would return to the South Pole and make Suki his bride and then after his father retired he'd become King. Aang was smiling at Katara and he didn't hear the next few words Toph said to him so she stomped out of the room very irritated.
Aang walked up to Katara and asked her for her hand and Suki could see that she reluctantly gave it to him but he did not. He led her onto her balcony which was across from the banquet hall 'great now every time I come out here I'll have to think of him' the young Avatar laid his head on her shoulder as they looked up at the moon. 'What is he doing trying to be romantic?' Katara didn't know why but she felt repulsed and even though Aang was only two years younger than her he was like a brother to her and his mentality at times didn't match hers let alone his maturity. Katara couldn't take anymore she would tell him that she was tired and wished to retire to bed.
But once she turned to tell him Aang was kissing her on the lips and trying to get in her mouth. She had to bite back her urge to bite his tongue and kick him over the railing. Katara pushed him back and pointed to the door which he reluctantly and embarrassingly went through the door. Katara counted to 100 and then walked into her room and checked to make sure everyone was gone before she locked the door.
Katara laid down in the bed and tried to make herself stop thinking about Zuko. If she could help it she was never talking to him again and she knew darn well she could help it. Her sleep did not come until the sun began to make its presence known in the sky. So of course she thought about Zuko and her mind battled itself. With everything that he's been through and accomplished she could allow him one slip up right? But everything he has done or tried to do to her he should know better by now. 'I'm nothing to him nor will I ever be he loves Mai and I was just something pretty to play with for the time being.' Katara allowed a tear to seep out of her eye and down her jaw and finally she succumbed to sleep.
Zuko had somehow managed to avoid dinner and his mini chat with Mai without being detected. He refused her company in the bed however, because that was an argument he wished to avoid. Zuko undressed and laid down in his bed trying to recap the small events that took place earlier. Zuko knew that Katara had heard him call her a peasant and he knew that wouldn't bode well. Something in his veins was telling him to go see her or talk to her but he hadn't the courage to. He didn't know how he could face her after she tried to comfort him and ease his mind. Zuko exhaled a large breath of fire and turned over on his side to fall to sleep.
Once the sun rose Zuko could feel his breath grow stronger and the energy pulsate throughout his veins. He jumped up and began his daily routine, bathing and dressing and heading down to the pond to do his bending drills. Zuko always trained topless and he would not stop doing that just because there were many girls starting to arrive for the festivities and would be drooling over him. There were only a few that were allowed there and an even smaller few had a view of the pond so he should be fine. Zuko started with meditating and feeling the power of the sun and the energy it emitted.
As soon as Zuko sat down with his legs folded and closed his eyes he felt his soul somewhat leave his body. He was standing in front of Agni, he had long hair and golden colored eyes with muscles that had obviously been put to use. Zuko wondered what Agni wanted with him, was this a punishment or something?
"I have not brought you here to punish you Prince Zuko." The man finally spoke and Zuko bowed low to him as a show of respect. Once Zuko stood up Agni walked off beckoning for Zuko to follow him. The Prince followed Agni trying to imitate his walk; it was so Spirit-like.
"Prince Zuko long ago before your crazy Great Grandfather started the war and before he came to the throne the world was experiencing a time of peace." The spirit showed him the Southern Water Tribe, it was grand even bigger than the Northern Water Tribe and it was filled with water benders; Zuko knew now that this conversation was about Katara.
"A promising Fire Bender fell in love with a water bender and they enjoyed many days and nights with each other, but as he got older and his job became clear it became harder for them to enjoy each other's company. Their bending had defined them more and as you know fire benders rise with the sun and water benders with the moon. The point of the story is that he chose his duty over his heart and lived out a horrible miserable life and the Fire Nation suffered much from it. You cannot keep your country happy if you are not happy Prince Zuko. These feelings that you claim you have been developing for the water bender is reality hitting you in the face you'll do well to obey them. Zuko I will not accept anything less than perfect from you or I will challenge you to Agni Kai myself!" Zuko looked up at the spirit and nodded his head he didn't understand what made Katara so important that the spirit would threaten him over it.
"She's so important that together the two of you will bring in some of the most powerful benders both water bending and fire bending children. She is so important because together you will assist the avatar in restoring balance to the world and most of all because I told you so!" Flames began to dance up as the spirit's anger grew. Zuko did not count on the fact that his thoughts would be heard. He bowed low to Agni and gave him a humble apology.
The spirit had no intention to burn Zuko but it was fun to toy with him just a bit, and if it meant that his point would be further made then all the better. Zuko opened his eyes and saw that he was sitting in front of the pond just like he had before he was abducted. Zuko stood and began stretching and running his fire bender drills he did not miss one step. Before he started another drill Li and Lo made their way over to Zuko and he gave them a respectful nod.
"Prince Zuko, something has been brought to our attention," Li began and Zuko lowered his stance to hear what they had to say. "If you are not married before you are crowned Fire Lord than it is law that the courts be opened," Lo said and Zuko looked to Li knowing she would speak next. "And a series of tests will be given to each of the potential Fire Ladies," Li added and Zuko switched to Lo, didn't this get irritating because he sure was. "And the last one standing will be Fire Lady, unless you overrule with sufficient grounds." Lo finished and the twins looked up to him for some sort of response, Zuko didn't know why he had yet to propose to Mai, he now knew thanks to Agni.
Zuko looked to the old ladies and nodded his head, he would give them no satisfaction nothing to gossip about. Once out of the clear the Prince began drilling harder which produced more fire and more onlookers. Almost three hours had passed since Zuko had gotten out of bed and he'd been letting off steam and trying to clear his mind for the lesser half of the three minutes yet his energy never faltered.
'Where is all this fire coming from? We are under attack!' Katara jumped out of bed and tried to make sense of what was going on they couldn't really be under attack could they? She grabbed her water skin and ran out to the balcony, happy and disappointed at the sight below. The Fire Prince was practicing his jerk bending, showing off no doubt. Katara didn't know how long she'd lingered but pretty soon the Fire Prince looked up at her.